In the Pond is a 1998 novel by Ha Jin, who has also written Under the Red Flag, Ocean of Words, and Waiting. He has been praised for his works relating to Chinese life and culture.The novel centers around the character Shao Bin, a Chinese man working at fertilizer plant, and his struggle to obtain a decent apartment for his young family. Continually passed over by the plant's corrupt leaders, Bin decides to fight back against his communist superiors.